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International Finance Corp bets big on India’s microfinance sector
The World Bank affiliate IFC is set to invest Rs 300 crore in TPG Capital and Citigroup backed-Janalakshmi Financial Services and another Rs 135 crore in CreditAccess Asia promoted Grameen Koota Financial Services.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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Viewpoint: Why M-Pesa ‘will never work in South Africa’
In the wake of Vodacom's decision to close down its M-Pesa mobile money service in South Africa at the end of this month, a pioneer of mobile financial services for the mass market has said mobile operators will never be successful in the financial services industry.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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New MacArthur Competition to Award $100 Million to Help Solve a Critical Problem of Our Time
A new competition launched today will award a $100 million grant to a single proposal designed to help solve a critical problem affecting people, places, or the planet.
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- Uncategorized
- Tags
- philanthropy
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Unlocking Empowerment for Poor Customers: Three Tips for Financial Services Providers
We expect financial services to bring several things to the lives of poor people: more options on how to manage their circumstances and opportunities, a sense of confidence and control over their future - a sense of empowerment, in other words. Here are three ways that financial institutions can nurture empowerment among low-income customers through their actions and offerings.
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- Uncategorized
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Cash Is Costly in the Caribbean, Says Mastercard Study
A study commissioned by MasterCard indicates that nine out of 10 transactions in Jamaica are done by cash or cheques, underscoring the problem of costly informality, according to the global card company.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Latin America
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NexThought Monday: Closing China’s Credit Gap
China's economy is on the path toward becoming more financially inclusive, but because the centralized Credit Reference Agency falls short, there's still a need for a scalable system for credit evaluation. Alibaba-affiliate Ant Financial is trying to provide an innovative solution.
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- Uncategorized
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Viewpoint: Don’t write off India’s payments banks
The withdrawal of three licencees should not be read as a doomsday omen for the idea and underlying rationale. It is too early to write off a well-intentioned idea that puts change and innovation before incumbency. Rather, these withdrawals should be seen as signaling the need for introspection and course-correction to adapt to the fast-changing, competitive landscape of India’s banking and payments sector.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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Entrepreneur building up Cambodia with ‘Lego-like’ bricks
A Cambodian social entrepreneur has won plaudits for his "My Dream Home" project, which aims to provide affordable and environmentally-friendly housing solutions to the country's poor.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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